"...these guys are to Texas polka what
Beausoleil is to Cajun music."
- John Morthland, Texas Monthly

New
CD Release

We finally loaded up the full
dance band and headed over to Houston's legendary Sugar Hill Studios to make
our latest CD, Texas Lowlands.

We started with a
bucket of beer, a cooler full of good Bremond sausage and a bottle
(or two) of Polish vodka. 8 hours later, we had this CD. Seemed like a
normal enough day but evidently they don't make records like that
anymore and
it made news.

Along
with Dennis Bielamowicz and Chuck Bolin on guitar and drums, we
had special guests Mike Stinnett on reeds, David Slovak on accordion
and Mark Rubin on the "maly bas" (3
string bass fiddle.) It was a big party in the studio and we're mighty
proud of the results.

You can
listen to
sample tracks and even order it on line at this secure site. You can
also find it on iTunes as well

Praise
forlast year'sTEXAS KAPELA!

Brian,

I listened to it again last night. That is one of the best versions of
"Miala Baba Koguta" I've ever heard. It is pure soul.

I never thought I would like polkas with a guitar, but it is really
done tastefully. What I like, perhaps the best, is that you
present the songs in a fashion that is pleasing to Polish polka
fans, Polish music fans, Fiddle fans, Country fans, and so on. I
can't say enough about it.

Keep up the great work! Trzymaj sie!

-Mark, Editor, Polish American
Journal, 6 Mar 2003

Brian,
My sincere thanks for the promo copy of TEXAS KAPELA.

Several years back I did a piece for the PAJ News entitled,
"Growing up Polish" where I related my years at my Uncle's (My
Grandfather and Grandmother started this place) corner bar. Litwin's
Blue room was the place where music could always be found, especially
on the weekends. These weren't "organized sessions," but started when
someone requested a
tune and I dragged out the accordion, my Uncle Tony Siedlecki pulled
out his fiddle and someone grabbed a washboard. The music came
from my
Grandparents and their grandparents. It was a time I returned to my
Polish
roots, following those "short" early teen years when I stopped taking
accordion
lessons.

After the first track on your CD, I was immediately transposed
back to those days when "Uncle Tony was on fiddle, I was on accordion
and Litwin's backroom was filled with people on a Friday or Saturday
night."

Musically, Texas Kapela is exciting because it has its roots in
those villages of Poland where people didn't play music from a piece of
paper,
but from their hearts. You have captured this perfectly in this
session.

Here's his reveiw:

Brian Marshall is right in the midst of the Polish heritage of
Texas. Places like Panna Maria, Chappel Hill and Bremond reflect a
music
that connects to the villages of Poland, with violin, bass and a
noticeable
lack of brass. With the release of his new CD, "Texas Kapela," the
feeling
and spirit of those early Poles in the great state of Texas has been
captured
for all to enjoy.
This "live" CD, recorded without overdubs and in "real time,"
features music from the heart and not from a piece of paper. Marshall
is on Fiddle, button box, Rubin on stand up string bass and Ron
Kasowski on guitar and fiddle. It's down home style, but blends the
down-home of a Polish Texas jam
session and the flavor of the village music of Poland.

As producer Mark Rubin wanted, it is Brian on a folding chair,
a cooler of beer nearby, a fiddle in hand, and music that comes from an
era of our grandparents and their grandparents.

"Miala Baba Koguta," "Celia Polka," "Ojeic Wielki," "Parobek"
oberek, and "Roman's" oberek are just a few of the 18 tracks on this
first rate
"Polish and Proud" product from land of the cattle, and the Alamo.
Marshall's
makes his fiddle sing as he makes these old tunes sound new in an old
way.
If you love the roots of today's polka music, this CD is belong in your
collection.

We had a blast at
the 2002 National
Folk Festival in Bangor ME. Thanks again to all the nice folks
who came out, danced and
said howdy! We sure do appreciate y'all support! We sold out of our
Arhoolie
CD "Texas Polish Roots," so drop
us a lineyou'd like to get info on how to get a cop.

Praise
for Texas Polish Roots!

"In the nineteenth century, Polish bands used fiddles to
create a
distinctly Texan sound. The rural sound died out decades ago, but Brian
Marshall
and His Tex-Slavik Playboys bring it back with grace and verve on Texas
Polish Roots (Arhoolie). A Houston native with Bremond roots,
Marshall
has a fiddle style redolent of the Old Country while containing
elements
of Western swing as well. The tunes are nearly all traditional, but
they're
more for dancers than folklorists; these guys are to Texas polka
what
Beausoleil is to Cajun music."

There are over 50,000 people of Polish descent in the
Houston and surrounding areas. As a Texan of Polish descent, I
can add that Polish music has been an integral part of my appreciation
of my Polish
heritage. For many others, it may be their only link to their
cultural
past.

Many
people are not aware that Polish music is or ever was alive in the
Texas region. Prior to 1980 there were only nine recordings in
existence representing the
Texas Polish style. Six cuts were by Steve Okonski who
represented the Robertson County style; three others were by
Randy and the Rockets with well-liked fiddler Pete Kwiatkowski
who represented the Washington County style. But I jump
ahead of myself.

Polish
settlers came to Texas as early as the mid-1800s and settled south of
San Antonio in a village named Panna Maria. I have no
knowledge of the music from this area. Twenty to thirty years
later a much larger wave began arriving and established themselves in
Texas areas that are now New Waverly, Stoneham, Anderson, Carlos,
Brenham, Bremond, and Chappell
Hill, to name a few. Mostly of peasant stock, these immigrants
had
very few possessions. They did bring their Catholic faith,
culture
and music. In many ways the traditions have been lost, but they
did well in maintainingtheir
faith and their music.

The
music has been passed down orally from generation to generation and
this tradition continues today. The music of these peasant Poles
typically consisted of a fiddle, a bowed bass, and an occasional
clarinet: Later, guitars, drums, and accordions were introduced,
though I'm sure the accordion was
a Czech influence as it was not accepted as a Polish instrument at the
time of this Texas migration. Music was played at all weddings and
family gatherings, and this tradition continues today. Until
recently, formal recordings of this music were not considered a
necessity as it was not looked upon as a marketing tool. Only
when the tradition started weakening did
certain musicians take it upon themselves to "document" the age-old
tunes.

Two
distinct styles of Polish music exist in Texas. They reflect
regional differences that came to America with the Polish
settlers. Poles in the Chappell Hill/Brenham area had a
rhythmic sawing style that created strong rhythms while a more melodic
sound dominated the Bremond area, the largest Polish settlement in
Texas.

Because
of the distance and separation of Texas from the northern states, the
instrumentation and sound of Polish music in Texas did not progress as
it did in Chicago and New York. In fact, many Texas Poles shunned
the idea of horns in Texas Polish bands because they felt that it Czechanized
the music. That is not to say that Texas Poles did not enjoy and
support
the dominant Czech sound found in Texas. However it did depict
people
who were proud of their own unique heritage.

Over
the past ten years, many recordings have been made that document the
old
tunes and represent the distinct styles that we have. This has
also
introduced Texas Polish music to new generations, both Poles and
non-Poles.
It should be noted that one would he hard pressed to find the
traditional
fiddle-driven style of Polish music that is enjoyed in Texas today,
even
if he or she were to travel to Poland in-search of it. This is
antiquated
music representing a time that has passed, yet it lives on. The
tunes
and musical style of Texas Polish music is unique.

Texas
Polonia should be proud of their success in keeping this tradition
alive
for well over a hundred years!